Mindfulness

My first introduction to Mindfulness was in 1996 as a graduate student working towards my Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology.

One of my professors was working towards her Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) teacher training and introduced much of what she was learning in her classes. I revisited MBSR in 2011 when I moved to Hong Kong and trained to teach Mindfulness in an educational setting. My training pulls from various modalities, mostly based on MBSR but it includes mindfulness based self compassion, compassion focused therapy, mindfulness based cognitive therapy and mindful meditation. Through my training, my own personal practice and developing mindfulness workshops, I believe mindfulness is a powerful tool to change our habitual thoughts and actions, build resilience and promote overall wellbeing.

I have created a series of workshops for parents, educators and those in industry and have successfully implemented these in various settings that include international schools, start-up businesses and the US Consulate in Hong Kong.

Workshops

Mindfulness for Educators

Mindfulness for Educators is an 8 or 10-week mindfulness and stress management curriculum for those working with students. This course is designed to give educators the tools they need to create and sustain their own mindfulness practice, an important first step in learning to incorporate mindfulness in the classroom. Twenty years’ research on mindfulness shows promising results in school-based practices including a reduction in behavioral issues and absenteeism among students, increases in ability to focus and pay attention and improved academic performance. Educators trained in mindfulness experience physiological benefits including lower blood pressure and fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression and an increase in compassion and empathy.

Mindfulness for Parents

Mindfulness for Parents is an 8 or 10-week course based on the principles of Mindfulness for Educators. Mindful parenting is associated with better well-being in parents and involves integrating the principles of mindfulness into parenting: listening to the child with full attention, being emotionally aware of and non-judgmentally accepting of the self and the child’s feelings and not being overly reactive to stressful situations. Parents who practice mindfulness report being happier with their parenting skills and their relationship with their children.

Mindfulness in the Workplace

Mindfulness in the Workplace is a bespoke program for companies that would like to support their employees wellbeing through the practice of mindfulness. Mindfulness training has consistently shown improvements in life satisfaction and overall happiness, a reduction in stress levels and a reduction in workplace absenteeism. Consider scheduling an introductory session, a 6 or 8 week course offering or follow up training and support for a healthy workplace environment.

Mindful Meditation

Mindful Meditation offers deep and lasting benefits for concentration, awareness of self and physical health and well-being. The many benefits of meditation include stress reduction, increased ability to focus and concentrate, learning to restrain from rumination and perseverating thoughts, improved learning capacity and memory, and an enhanced well-being and sense of peace. When we are mindful, we are present in life. We are paying attention to what is happening right here and right now, so that we can live our lives fully instead of dwelling in the past or worrying about the future. In this class, we explore the concepts of mindfulness and relaxation. Students are be introduced to various forms of mindful meditations including visualization, sitting meditations and yoga nidra (deep relaxation). This course is a shorter course, usually running 4-6 weeks.